Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye is inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outermost layer of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids). It is commonly due to an infection (usually viral, but sometimes bacterial or parasitic), or an allergic reaction.

Conjunctivitis can affect one or both eyes and is the most likely diagnosis in someone with eye redness and discharge (fluid coming from the eye). The affected eye is often "stuck shut" in the morning. Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are highly contagious, and are transmitted through contact with the discharge. Generally speaking, conjunctivitis will go away on its own and poses no serious health risk. Eye drops can help relieve symptoms and, for bacterial causes, likely reduce the length of the illness if given early.

Classification

Classification can be either by cause or by extent of the inflamed area.

Causes

Eye

Eyes are the organs of vision. They detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. In higher organisms, the eye is a complex optical system which collects light from the surrounding environment, regulates its intensity through a diaphragm, focuses it through an adjustable assembly of lenses to form an image, converts this image into a set of electrical signals, and transmits these signals to the brain through complex neural pathways that connect the eye via the optic nerve to the visual cortex and other areas of the brain. Eyes with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system. Image-resolving eyes are present in molluscs, chordates and arthropods.

The simplest "eyes", such as those in microorganisms, do nothing but detect whether the surroundings are light or dark, which is sufficient for the entrainment of circadian rhythms. From more complex eyes, retinal photosensitive ganglion cells send signals along the retinohypothalamic tract to the suprachiasmatic nuclei to effect circadian adjustment and to the pretectal area to control the pupillary light reflex.

Pink

Pink is a pale red color, which takes its name from the flower of the same name. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with love, beauty, charm, politeness, sensitivity, tenderness, sweetness, childhood, femininity, and the romantic. When combined with violet or black, it is associated with eroticism and seduction.

Pink was first used as a color name in the late 17th century.

In nature and culture

The color pink takes its name from the flowers called pinks, members of the genus Dianthus.

The color pink takes its name from the flowers called pinks, members of the genus Dianthus.

In most European languages, pink is called rose or rosa, after the rose flower.

In most European languages, pink is called rose or rosa, after the rose flower.

Cherry blossoms in Senai, Miyagi, Japan. The Japanese language has different words for the pink of cherry blossoms (sakura-iro), and peach blossoms (momo-iro). Recently the word pinku has also become popular.

Ashley

Ashley is a place name, and a surname as well as both a male and female given name. The place name is derived from the Old English words 'æsc' (ash) and 'lēah' (meadow).

Ashley can also be spelled Ashlie, Ashlee, Ashly, Ashli, Ashleigh, Ashliegh and Ashlaie.

Places

People

Other uses

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is an annual holiday celebrated on February 14. It originated as a Western Christian liturgical feast day honoring one or more early saints named Valentinus, and is recognized as a significant cultural and commercial celebration in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country.

Several martyrdom stories associated with the various Valentines that were connected to February 14 were added to later martyrologies, including a popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome which indicated he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, Saint Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius, and before his execution, he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.

The day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). In Europe, Saint Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver’s heart", as well as to children, in order to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.